Shakira inspired by starving, glue-sniffing kids

Glue-sniffing kids inspired Shakira to give back to the youth of her hometown in Colombia.

The singer launched her Pies Descalzos Foundation when she started tasting success in her late teens and the charity has helped to build six schools in her homeland – and it’s all thanks to desperate kids she remembers from her upbringing.

She explains, “When I was eight, my father went bankrupt. As a result, we lost our air conditioner. It’s crazy hot in Barranquilla, my hometown – usually 95 degrees.

“When I complained, my parents took me to a local park where orphans were sniffing glue to quell their hunger. It made a lasting impression on me, and I promised myself that, once I achieved success, I would do something for those kids who apparently had no chance in life.”